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Photos: Top 10 Indoor Waterparks in the U.S.

Although the first indoor water park in the U.S. opened in 1989, Pennsylvania's first—Splash Lagoon, in Erie—opened fairly recently, in 2002. Now in its ninth year, the park attracts about 400,000 annual visitors and will open a new 30,000-square-foot wave pool this summer.

(Courtesy Splash Lagoon)

Splash Lagoon has a "greatest hits" list of attractions, including the Shark Attack, a furiously fast body slide that twists and turns outside the building, and the Black Hole, a tunnel slide that leaves you in the dark until the very end.

(Courtesy Splash Lagoon)

Splash Lagoon's activity pool. Also good for kids: the Tiki Treehouse, a fortress/obstacle course with bridges and slides.

(Courtesy Splash Lagoon)

The Klondike Kavern at Wilderness Territory Waterpark Resort in the Wisconsin Dells. Other marquee attractions include The Hurricane family raft ride and the five-foot swells of the Great Wave.

(Courtesy Wilderness Territory)

Wilderness Territory has four individual indoor water parks, making it the largest water park-resort in the nation. But travelers shouldn't worry about Wisconsin's chilly winters—these water parks are a balmy 88 degrees all winter long.

(Courtesy Wilderness Territory)

The KeyLime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort, about 40 miles from Chicago. The park is home to two giant tunnel slides each more than 500 feet long.

(Courtesy KeyLime Cove)

Part of a 414-room resort, KeyLime Cove's 65,000-square-foot water park is decorated in dazzling colors, easily brightening up any Midwest winter.

(Courtesy KeyLime Cove)

At KeyLime Cove, kids can choose among several main attractions, including a pair of body slides named Wahoo and Screaming Banshee (the names really say it all); parents will be pleased with the adults-only whirlpool at the KeyLime Grotto.

(Courtesy KeyLime Cove)

Silver Rapids, Idaho's largest indoor water park, has the Hoop Lagoon, a court-sized, three-foot-deep warm-water pool with real basketball hoops, and Moose Sluice, a raft waterslide.

(Courtesy Silver Rapids)

Silver Rapids appeals particularly to tweens and teens, with the Flow Rider surf wave that moves at 35 mph, and the Crossing, where kids can jump between floating obstacles like lily pads.

(Courtesy Silver Rapids)

In Grand Mound, Wa., Great Wolf Lodge's claim to fame is Fort Mackenzie, a four-story tree house loaded with suspension bridges, cargo nets, and full buckets to keep climbers soaked.

(Courtesy Great Wolf Lodge)

America's largest family of indoor water park-hotels, Great Wolf has 12 lodges to its name. But currently, the only West Coast location is in Grand Mound, drawing much of its attendance from nearby Seattle.

(Courtesy Great Wolf Lodge)

In Michigan's northwestern region, Boyne is best known as a ski escape. But the area is also home to the 88,000-square-foot Avalanche Bay water park, where skiers often thaw out in the 84-degree temperatures.

(Courtesy Avalanche Bay)

At Avalanche Bay, visitors should listen for the Splasherhorn's rumblings—the four-story play structure dumps 800 gallons of water on passers-by throughout the day.

(Courtesy Avalanche Bay)

Adventure seekers at Avalanche Bay can try the surf simulator, or head to the South Wall, a 25-foot-high climbing wall that pours H2O on daredevils attempting to summit.

(Courtesy Avalanche Bay)

The Massanutten Resort, in McGaheysville, Virginia, is a 42,000-square-foot glass-walled, pyramid-shaped structure with views of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.

(Courtesy Massanutten Resort)

Massanutten Resort offers warm-water temperatures (84 degrees year round) and eight big attractions, including the Melting Mogul body slide, which sends folks on a heart-stopping descent into total darkness.

(Courtesy Massanutten Resort)

Of the dozen indoor attractions at the 26-acre Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Indoor Waterpark, the steep, 60-foot-high Rohr! is a favorite, where riders break speeds of 30 mph while whooshing down a 244-foot-long body slide.

(Courtesy Schlitterbahn Galveston)

African-themed Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio, is an expansive 173,000 square feet and features a spectrum of thrill rides.

(Courtesy Kalahari Resort)

Minnesota's Water Park of America, right next to gargantuan Mall of America, refreshes tired shoppers with more than 300,000 gallons of water daily.

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